Gazing at the Horizon
by Haunted Obsidian
Summary: Everyday he waited, waited for him to come home.


**Title : Gazing at the Horizon**

**Genre : Anime/Manga**

**Category : Full Metal Alchemist **

**Disclaimer : Even if I did own it, I'd still find a way to be broke.**

**Summary : Every day he waited, waited for him to come home. (Takes place after the death of Trisha)**

**Warnings : A pinch of angst**

**Rating : T**

The nine year old stared out the window, his bronze-tinted grey eyes gazing at the dreary sky that overlooked the dying fields that lay just outside the thin sheet of glass. A hushed sigh escaped his frowning lips, his hand lazily holding up his chin, careful not to let his elbow slip off the table. His other hand was busy tapping on the wooden object, his fingertips making light thumping noises on the aged piece of décor. His eyes searched the endless sea of countryside, hoping silently that he would see the figure he'd been looking for for the past few years coming up the hillside; but once again, there was no one there. He slumped over further in the chair, a saddened expression making its way over his youthful visage.

"What are you doing?" his older brother's voice cut through his thoughts, jerking him out of the fantasy he had been playing and replaying in his head for the past half hour or so.

"What? Oh, um, nothing," Alphonse muttered, his gaze drifting from his brother's golden orbs back to the dream that was awaiting him on the other side of the window.

"He's not coming back, so I don't know why you're even bothering to hold your breath," Edward stated sharply, his brow narrowing in anger. "You shouldn't waste your time," he mumbled, walking away from the younger boy.

"What do you know, Ed? How do you know he's not coming back?" the words shot out of the nine year old's distraught mouth, he now standing to his feet.

"Because, idiot! It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. He doesn't care about us. If he did, then he never would have left in the first place," the slightly shorter boy retorted, standing with his hands on his hips, his blonde locks falling in his face.

"Maybe there was something important he had to do! Or maybe it was something he didn't want us to know about! He was probably just trying to protect us!" Alphonse argued, a watery substance now filling his woe-filled eyes.

"Protect us from what? Himself? Yeah, right, Al. Grow up," the ten year old murmured, anger burning furiously in his golden eyes as he turned away, about to head towards the kitchen.

It took a moment for what happened next to register, the blow seemingly coming from out of nowhere. Edward blinked twice, his hand slowly moving up to his now swelling cheek. "What was that for?" he exclaimed indignantly, confusion mixed with anger flashing across his reddened face.

"What do you think, _genius_?" his little brother shouted, pain burning in his own bronze-tinted orbs. "Why do you always have to talk so bad about him? At least he left enough money for us to be taken care of! Just because he isn't here doesn't mean he doesn't love us, you know!" the younger boy yelled, his voice dripping with hurt.

"Oh, really?" Edward questioned, moving closer to his little brother. "If he loves us so much, then he would have at least came back to be at her funeral! But did you see him there? Hell, no! Why? Because he doesn't give a damn about us, Al! And he never will! You can sit there and wait all you want, but he isn't coming!" Edward shouted, anger wracking his tone, a hint of sadness hidden somewhere deep within it.

The other boy's upper lip trembled, his shaking hands forming fists at his sides. "Take it back, Ed," he ordered, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth were starting to hurt.

"No, I won't! Because it's true! He doesn't love you, and he doesn't love me! And he sure as hell didn't love Mom!" the shorter boy yelled, bits of spittle flying from his semi-puckered lips.

"That's a lie!" Al shouted, closing his eyes as he swung another fist at the older boy, hitting him squarely in the right eye. "Stop lying, Ed!" he cried, tears running frantically down his cheeks as he took another swing.

"I'm not lying!" Edward remarked, shoving his little brother to the ground, a bright, purple bruise already outlining his eye. "Just accept it, Al! He's nothing but a deserter!" he exclaimed, getting in a punch of his own, hitting Alphonse in the chest.

The other boy coughed, but managed to switch their positions, Edward now laying flat on his back, receiving a blow to the face once again. "Shut up, Ed! Just shut up!" Alphonse yelled through tears, the two now struggling for dominance. "He was a good man, and if it wasn't--wasn't for him, we wouldn't have discovered alchemy!" the younger boy continued to defend the man that left their lives years before.

"We would have discovered it anyway, Al!" Ed stated, smashing his palm against his little brother's face, blood running from his own parted lips. "Maybe not so early, but we still would have found it!"

"It's not exactly something they teach in school, Ed! We would've been at least ten years older learning what we already know now! So you should be thankful, you-you ungrateful…" the eight year old's voice trailed off, tears blurring his vision completely. "When are you just going to stop pretending you hate him?" the small voice made its way out of the slightly taller boy's lips, his tone drenched in agony. He slowly slid off the older boy, and stood to his feet, his head hanging.

"I'm not pretending," the stubborn comment came from the smaller blonde as he pushed himself up, staggering just a bit as he stood up, wiping the blood from his busted lip away, only smearing it even more. He took a defensive stance, his brow narrowing with anger.

"I want to hate you so badly right now, Ed, but I can't. I can't, and I never will, but I don't know if I can ever forgive you for the way you talk about Dad. One day, he's actually going to mean something to you, and you're going to miss him and want him to come home too," Al declared, staring his older brother in the eye before taking off out the door, a cold wind blowing in after him.

Edward stared at the open screen door that continued to blow in the wind's whispers, his bottom lip starting to quiver. Golden orbs slowly drifted around the empty house, voices of the past creeping upon his ears, one in particular.

"_Now, Edward, say you're sorry," Trisha's lightly scolding tone breezed through his ears, the boy's lips immediately forming a pout. "Edward…"_

"_I'm sorry!" he exclaimed a little too loudly, folding his arms and pouting even more, his golden locks hanging in front of his equally if not more so, golden eyes, the trace of dried tears on his cheeks reflecting in the din of the room._

"_Edward…," she warned again, gently pushing him towards his little brother who was currently pouting as well, arms folded just like his older brother._

"_I'm sorry," the seven year old murmured, slowly sticking a hand out for the other's acceptance._

"_You-you mean it?" the younger one asked, eying his older brother and his hand suspiciously. _

"_Yeah, hey, you wanna go transmute that broken radio of Winry's?" Edward piped up, a smile brightening his distraught face, the brotherly gesture coming from out of nowhere._

"_Sure!" Alphonse replied, a grin lighting up his lips as well._

Edward watched as the memory drifted out of focus, knowing all too well the words he had to say, and the place he had to go. Someone was waiting for him down by the river.

**Another pointless one-shot. Inspired by an episode towards the mid-end of the series. Hope you liked it!**


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